The Author of 15 books and a columnist for the local newspaper for more than 11 years with features such as "The Story Teller" and "Down on the Farm", Ward became interested in collecting farm equipment in the mid-1900's. His wife Ruth joined right in and their collection grew beyond their ability to house it all.

They saw the 4H Pavilion at Emerson Park standing idle and approached the Cayuga County Legislature for permission to make it a County Museum, which they did in 1975. In May of 1997, the Legislature renamed the museum the Ward W. O'Hara Agricultural Museum in his honor.

On September 8, 1997 Ward passed away, leaving behind a legacy that will benefit us all for many years to come.